A very good effort for the vintage, the 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape is a much smaller-scaled wine, but it is still fresh and lively with plenty of Provencal typicity, medium body, very good density and fruit, and an attractive finish. Consume it over the next 5-6 years. I visited the three owners of Xavier Vins, the young oenologist, Xavier Vignon, who is the brain trust behind so many of the wines, and his two partners. This relatively youthful, serious negociant company has been doing some extraordinary consulting work in Chateauneuf du Pape, working for such estates as Raymond Usseglio, La Gardine, Jerome Quiot, Beaurenard, La Nerthe, Mont Redon, Maucoil, Roger Perrin, Chateau Marcoux and Domaine Grand Veneur. They access gorgeous fruit from many different appellations and are doing a top-flight job of getting impressive quality into the bottle. Moreover, there are some top values in their portfolio as well. Importer: AOC Fine Wines, www.aocfinewines.com